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Breast Cancer

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01-07-2013 | Original Article

Clinical relevance of Ki67 gene expression analysis using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer specimens

Authors: Satoko Yamamoto, Mutsuko Ibusuki, Yutaka Yamamoto, Peifen Fu, Saori Fujiwara, Keiichi Murakami, Hirotaka Iwase

Published in: Breast Cancer | Issue 3/2013

Abstract

Background

Ki67 is a protein associated with cell cycle activity and shows a good correlation with the growth fraction, which has been proposed as a prognostic or predictive marker in breast cancer. In this study, we aimed to analyze the expression levels of Ki67 (MKI67) messenger RNA (mRNA) derived from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues for comparison with the immunohistochemical Ki67 labeling index, and investigate the correlation coefficients with clinical outcomes.

Methods

We analyzed the data of Ki67 mRNA from FFPE and matched fresh-frozen (FF) tissues based on a real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay system in 203 cases of primary invasive breast cancer.

Results

The correlation between Ki67 mRNA expression of either FFPE or FF specimens and Ki67 labeling index was positive, as was the correlation between the FFPE and FF results (P < 0.0001). Ki67 mRNA expression of FFPE specimens was significantly associated with clinicopathological characteristics: tumor size, lymph node status, nuclear grade, hormone receptors, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) status, and tumor subtype. In prognostic results, Ki67 gene expression in the FFPE specimens revealed almost similar patterns of significance in Kaplan–Meier curves and univariate and multivariate relapse-free survival results as the Ki67 labeling index.

Conclusions

Gene expression analysis of Ki67 of FFPE specimens could be successfully performed using RT-qPCR, closely resembling the significant clinical characteristics of Ki67 labeling index. These results confirm that Ki67 gene expression of FFPE specimens has potential for evaluation of cell cycle activity of breast cancer specimens.

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Title: Clinical relevance of Ki67 gene expression analysis using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer specimens
Authors: Satoko Yamamoto
Mutsuko Ibusuki
Yutaka Yamamoto
Peifen Fu
Saori Fujiwara
Keiichi Murakami
Hirotaka Iwase
Publication date: 01-07-2013
Publisher: Springer Japan
Published in: Breast Cancer / Issue 3/2013
Print ISSN: 1340-6868
Electronic ISSN: 1880-4233
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-012-0332-7

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